


tell me what's bothering you

by tangentiallly



Category: A Series of Unfortunate Events (TV), A Series of Unfortunate Events - Lemony Snicket
Genre: Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:33:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25946647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tangentiallly/pseuds/tangentiallly
Summary: Kit gets tired of hearing Jacquelyn complain about Poe, but she doesn't realize the motive behind those complaints.
Relationships: Kit Snicket & Jacquelyn Scieszka
Comments: 7
Kudos: 6





	tell me what's bothering you

**Author's Note:**

> disclaimer: I don't own ASOUE

When Jacquelyn started complaining about the 4th idiotic thing Poe had said that day, Kit was at her limit. She had a horrible day already, starting from the morning sickness and nausea, to the arrival of a letter carrying the news of how Olaf and Esme still hadn’t been found after their escape, to a stupid argument with Ernest that she couldn’t even remember right now how it’d started - not that it really mattered that much. Kit was tired and annoyed and listening to Jacquelyn complain about Poe’s failures and ignorance was not helping. Particularly if she’d already heard those all before. Poe was a routine person, routinely making the same mistakes, routinely asking the same questions, routinely getting on Jacquelyn’s nerves in the same way.

Kit had heard it all before.

Normally, she wouldn’t mind hearing it again as they drank tea and listened to radio in the background while on Jacquelyn’s sofa. But today, as Jacquelyn ranted on about Poe, Kit felt an anger mixed with annoyance rising inside her. She’d tried to suppress it down at first, but it still kept rising as Jacquelyn talked. Jacquelyn, who worked a comfortable job at the bank, for a boss who was ignorant but also too ignorant to be outright evil (unlike a certain villainous hotel manager Kit’s work had required her to cross paths with). Jacquelyn, who was not pregnant, not suffering from any morning sickness every day this week.

“Yes, you’ve said,” Kit cut across Jacquelyn’s rambling in irritation.

Jacquelyn stopped, and looked at her in surprise.

Kit pressed on, suddenly unable to stop herself. “Yes, yes, Poe’s the worst boss. You know that and I know that. Can’t we just … talk about something else or not talk about anything?”

“What’s wrong?” Jacquelyn asked, concerned. “Are you okay?”

Kit ignored that question. “I’m just not in the mood to listen to you complain about Poe, of all people. Yes, he’s terrible, but there are worse people in the world and quite frankly, if he’s the most important topic you have to complain about, then you’re actually really lucky and shouldn’t be complaining at all!”

Jacquelyn gave her a hard stare. Kit stared right back unflinchingly. Stubbornly.

Jacquelyn did not look away, but after a few seconds, she sighed. “You know, you barely ever complain,” she said, her voice even.

Kit huffed impatiently. “Which makes you complaining about Poe even more ridiculous!”

Jacquelyn didn’t say anything for a moment, and then she sighed again. “Kit. I can handle Poe. It’s you who I don’t know how to deal with.”

“ _What?!_ ”

“You don’t - you don’t talk about what upsets you!” Jacquelyn exclaimed, her voice suddenly louder and sharper. “You pretend everything’s fine and you don’t like to talk about the troubles you’re facing and you just keep it all to yourself - and that’s not good for you! You can’t just keep shutting me out. Whenever I ask you how you are you always pretend you’re fine even though I can see you’re not fine!” She exhaled. “Kit, I complain about Poe because I thought if I open up first, if I talk about what upsets me, what annoys me, maybe you’ll feel more comfortable doing so too! I tell you I’m worried about Larry and I tell you how we failed to save the Baudelaires again but _you_ \- you never tell me what’s troubling you.”

Kit looked at her in shock, and Jacquelyn deflated. “I’m not saying you have to tell me everything, or that I think you can’t handle things on your own - you’re competent, I know that. But the schism is getting worse and volunteers are sending bad news all the time and you’re also pregnant and that must’ve made it harder to do some missions than before - you can’t just keep acting like you’re fine while you’re actually not.” She drew a deep breath. “I just want to help you, Kit. Maybe starting with stuff about Poe isn’t the best way, but I’ve tried others, and it didn’t work.”

“…oh,” Kit said.

“Yeah. And - it doesn’t have to be me if you don’t want it to be, but you and Jacques barely see each other, and you and Ernest argue all the time, and I doubt you and Frank talk about things like this. You have to talk to _someone_.”

 _There’s Dewey_ , Kit thought. But Jacquelyn didn’t know about Dewey and Kit couldn’t reveal his existence. And in all honesty, Kit probably wasn’t telling Dewey much of her emotional troubles anyway, because she didn’t want to worry Dewey. Once upon a time, Bertrand used to be the one person Kit could be absolutely honest with about everything that annoyed or troubled her, but he wasn’t here anymore.

“I’m sorry,” Kit finally offered. “I’m just … not very good at all these … talking about feelings stuff.”

Jacquelyn’s hand reached out to hold onto Kit’s. “I know,” she said quietly. “But just … _try_ , okay?” She hesitated. “You know, Jacques worries about you. He tells me when we talk on the phone. And I know you want me to tell him that you’re doing all fine, but - if you keep burying yourself in your own emotions and never talking about them, you’re not giving me a good reason to tell him that, you know?”

“Right.” Kit said. “I - I’ll try, alright? Promise.”

Jacquelyn nodded and squeezed her hand. “I’ll make us some more tea.”

**Author's Note:**

> [come say hi on tumblr](https://beatricebidelaire.tumblr.com)


End file.
